5 hours Ago By Jacob Dann
Aston Villa's famous claret and blue colour scheme originated from the foundation of the original English football league system in 1888. Villa have sported some of the most iconic kits in English football history, and their colour scheme has been adopted by several other clubs over the years. One of the most beloved designs from recent years was created by a die-hard Aston Villa fan.
Aston Villa have worn claret and blue kits since the foundation of the English football league was conceived by one of the club's directors, William McGregor. Naturally, the Midlands outfit was one of the 12 founding members when the division was launched in 1888. The claret and blue have become familiar in the English game since, with numerous teams adorning the colours after Villa enjoyed domestic dominance.
West Ham United and Burnley most notably adopted the design which also made it abroad, with Turkish giants Trabzonspor also donning the claret and blue as a nod to Villa's heritage. In an era when kits are updated every season, the Villans have had numerous designs from multiple manufacturers, and much like other clubs, these have varied in their appeal to the fans. Between some unpopular offerings, the club are responsible for some of the most iconic designs in English football history.
With that said, we have ranked the seven best Aston Villa home kits in the club's storied past. Design - how well the shirt blends together, including the sponsor logo, and any other elements Legacy - how well the shirt is remembered, if it is seen as 'retro' now or a modern classic Success - the shirts worn by successful sides are more treasured than shirts worn in difficult campaigns. The 7 Best Aston Villa Home Kits of All Time Rank Years Manufacturer 1 1993-95 Asics 2 1982-83 Le Coq Sportif 3 1992-93 Umbro 4 2018-19 Luke 1977 5 1995-97 Reebok 6 2009-10 Nike 7 1987-89 Hummel Unai Emery led Villa into the Champions League in 2023/24, but is he the best manager the club has had in the Premier League era? 7 1987-89 Worn in both the 1987/88 and 1988/89 seasons, this Villa kit features a half-and-half striped shirt design that was unique at the time for the club's home jersey.
Hummel's first effort with the club saw Villa move away from a traditional claret shirt with blue sleeves in favour of incorporating both of their famous colours in a segmented style on both shirt and sleeves. The kit also incorporated Hummel's famous arrows on the shoulders, adding an extra texture that only enhances the design. Mita Copiers was the sponsor on the shirt that Villa wore as they were promoted from the old Division 2 in 1988 before retaining their top-flight status the following season.
This shirt is available as part of the club's retro range and is one of the most sought-after and beloved designs in the club's history. 6 2009-10 A simple but effective design, Nike's 2009-10 Aston Villa shirt was a minor change compared to previous seasons, but a memorable kit for the club nonetheless. Featuring the logo of Birmingham-based children's hospice Acorns for the second successive season in lieu of a potentially more lucrative shirt sponsorship deal, the branding suits the simplistic nature of the kit, which has become a classic among the Villa faithful.
With players such as Ashley Young, James Milner and Gabby Agbonlahor, the club's all-time leading Premier League goalscorer , among many other modern-day club heroes donning the strip, this Villa kit is a huge hit for those looking for a good dose of Barclays Premier League nostalgia. 5 1995-97 Used for two seasons, this Reebok shirt was the company's first during their partnership with Villa and comfortably their best. Sporting a familiar layout with the claret body and blue sleeves, the additional detailing of the yellow in the collar and on the manufacturer logo to match the lion on the club's crest is a nice touch, while the smaller, more subtle lions add an extra layer of detail that make the kit all the more iconic to look at.
This detail was also re-used in a later kit, with Villa's 2017-18 Under Armour shirt featuring similar lions as a nod to this design. Villa finished fourth and fifth respectively in the two campaigns in which this shirt was used, so there was some success on the pitch too. The club's most recent trophy was won in this period, a 3-0 League Cup final victory over Leeds United, so it is more revered as a result.
Villa have had some great defenders in their Premier League tenure, we have ranked the best seven to play for the club since 1992. 4 2018-19 Unusual among Aston Villa kits in that it ditches the blue sleeves, relegating the colour to the trims of the shirt, this Luke 1977-made kit was an immediate hit for the Villa faithful, selling out immediately. The success of the strip among the fans was reflected in the club's on-field fortunes, as they beat Derby County 2-1 in the Championship play-off final to secure a return to the Premier League after three years away.
The move to go with subtle stripes in slightly different shades of the famous claret marked only the third occasion in which Villa had not worn blue as the predominant colour, and the first time since Diadora went with a similar design in the 2000-01 campaign. This kit is still one of the most sought after Villa shirts of all time, as the demand for it was far greater than Luke 1977, a company owned by boyhood fan Luke Roper, could supply. Interestingly, this is the only shirt Roper's brand created for the club, as the Villans signed a new, more financially lucrative deal with Kappa for the 2019-20 season onwards.
None of their shirts are held in particuarly high regard by the Villa fans. 3 1992-93 Villa entered the Premier League era with this iconic Umbro kit, in a season that saw the club finish as runners-up in the division to eventual champions Manchester United. Featuring a memorable laced collar, the club's shirt was one of very few kits of the era to incorporate the design which had been common in the early 1900s, but had become far rarer in the later years of the century, making this shirt unique among its peers from the period.
This shirt was the last Umbro made for the club, and was also the final strip to feature the famous sponsor Mita Copiers. The shirt's neckline laces were accompanied by a blue rounded collar that went over the collarbones, in addition to the traditional claret and blue layout. 2 1981-83 Despite a very simple design, the 1981-83 Aston Villa strip is one of the most iconic shirts that the club has ever worn, mainly due to the success the Villans had on the pitch whilst wearing it.
Initially designed for the 1981-82 season, the shirt features a very traditional claret and blue layout, with blue side panels and a blue collar as the finishing touches. This shirt also sports the iconic rounded Villa crest in the middle of the chest, the first time the club had ever had their badge laid out in such a fashion. With Villa's legendary 1982 side claiming the European Cup , the kit was reused for the 1982-83, with the small addition of the words 'Champions of Europe' below the badge, in a classy move from French manufacturers Le Coq Sportif.
The shirt would on occasion feature the logo of local West Midlands brewery Davenports on it during the 1982-83 campaign. It goes without saying that this kit is one of the most beloved home kits among the Villa faithful, even despite the fact that the club were wearing their away shirt on the most famous night in their history. Fans of the era will remember Villa club legends such as Gordon Cowans, Peter Withe and the late Gary Shaw adorning this kit.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Aston Villa's 1982 European Cup triumph was the sixth year in a row that the continent's premier club competition had been won by an English club. Established in 1955, the Champions League is the pinnacle of club football, with every winner writing themselves into history. 1 1993-95 A glorious kit made by Asics, in their only attempt at a Villa home kit, the 1993-95 shirt was striking not just for its design but also its iconic sponsorship.
Ditching the traditional shirt layout in favour of a striking striped claret and blue design, the extending of the stripes onto the sleeves works very well, and the addition of the collar is a nice touch to finish off a strong design. The Muller sponsorship has also become legendary, as despite its prominence arguably taking away from the design of the kit, it works well with the shirt overall and makes for one of the best kits the club has ever had. Villa also had some success in this strip, winning the 1994 League Cup with a 3-1 victory over Manchester United at the old Wembley, so it is remembered more favourably as a result.
It also saw some of Villa's best players in the era wear it, including Paul McGrath, Dwight Yorke and Dalian Atkinson, making it a truly legendary kit..
